Clamp



July 18, 1933. R. wlEzEl.

CLAMP Filed Deo. 1e. 1931 Y ggfs ,Mf s.

A T1 'ORN lf) '5.

rarest FFCE CLAMP Application filed December 16, 1931.

This invention has for its object a clamping device which operates to clamp an article upon bodily movement of the device in one direction and to release. the article upon bodily movement in the other direction and especially adevice partifriilarly applicable for suspend ing heavy articles as gymnasium ma s,

i" etc. and in other situations whe-re it is uit to handie the heavy article and mai@ ziii'nilate a clamp or hoid at the same time.

The invention cons An the novel featurer in the combinations and constructions hereinafter sot vforth and ciaimed.

lo describing this intention reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which eik-e characters (lesiona-te corr i pending parts in ali the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical. sectioi'ial View of this clamping device shown in (damped posit-ion,

si.; the contiguous portion oi an article, as a gymnasium mat. being shown therein and the contiguous portion of the snpi'iorting wall being also shown.

Figure 2 is a View sii'niiar to Figure 1 show- 35 ing;l the clamping devise when elevated ont of damping position and preliminary to its beng lowered into clamping position or preliminary to let-ting the article drop therefrom. 3f) Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3,

Figure 1.

Fignre 4 View similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment of this invention.

This clamp comprises generally a movf-i :ible body having a passage for receiving the article to beclampod and a clamping member.operable by the movement of the body into and out of clamping' position.

1 designates the body form-ed with a lengthwise passage 2 onen at one end 3 for receiving the article 4 to be clamped, the body being oreferably mounted to shift vertically. The body is supported by means permitting it to d .shift vertically in opposite directions. 5 is a clamping member operated by the shifting movement into and ont of position to grip the articie 4 in the passage 2.

The body i s here shown as in the general m form o f a wide hook, the. bill of the hook extending downwardly and the shank 6 of Serial No.` 581,350.

the hook being supported so that the hook can shift vertically.

The means for supporting the hook or body is here shown as a pair of parallel links 7, 8, spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the body, that is one above the other when the body is mounted to shift vertically, the links being pivoted at like ends at 9 and 10 to the shank of the hook and at their other ends at 11 and 12 to a suitable base plate 13 which may be secured to a wall 15 in any suitable manner. The clamping member 5 extends through a passage 16 in the shank portion of the hook and into the passage 2 toward the bill of the hook and is operable out of clamping position by upward movement of the body or hook and into clamping position by the downward movement of the body or hook. The clamping member 5 is here shown as an angular arm or extension of the link 8 from the end thereoi which is pivoted to the shank of the hook, that is, the end thereof adjacent the pivot 10. The end of the arm is provided with means for gripping into the article as a gymnasium mat 4, when the end of the hook or body is moved downwardly.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arm is provided with a serrated end 17 and as shown in Figure 4, the end of the arm is pivot/ed at 18 to a shoe 19 slidable on the inner face of the shank of the hook formation, this shoe having an arcuate face. The shoe 19 is preferably yielding or has a cushioning eect and as here shown is bow shaped and formed of yielding resilient metal. The ends of the shoe 19 press against the shank of the hook and are under tension or compression when the hook is up and hence tend to shift the hook downward and the shoe into clamping position. The form shown in Figure 1 is adapted to take. articles as gymnasium mats and the form shown in Figure 4 is adapted for thinner articles as rugs or hides.

The body or the shank portion of the hood formation is formed with a suitable recess 2O in which the supporting links are housed.

In operation, the hooks are suitably mounted on the wall in vertical position and naturally assume their down position wherein the links 7 and 8 and the clamping member are in their position shown in Figure 1. Movement of the article to be clamped into the passage 2 or into the hook will cause the articles to engage the clamping member and move it upward and in so doing move the entire body or hook upwardly so that the article will clear the clamping member and can be moved to the top or bend of the hook formation. Thereafter, the article may be released and in falling downwardly the hook will move therewith and the clamping member will be moved into the position shown in Figures 1 and 4, thus clamping the article. During this downward movement the hook may be pushed downwardly to facilitate the clamping action. To release the article the hook may be pulled upwardly so that the articles will drop out or the lifting force may be applied to the articles, thus moving the hook upwardly, and the hook held in upward position while the articles are dropping out. In hanging up the article, it may be pressed against the bill of the hook and away from the clamp so that by reason of the frictional engagement of the article and the bill, the article and hook will drop downward as a unit thus causing the clamp 5 to swing inward and grip the article instead of moving the hook downward by hand. Also, in releasing the article from the hook the article may be pressed toward the clamp 5 or shank of the body or hook away from the bill after the article has been lifted to shift the hook upward. The article, while pressed against the clamp, will hold the clamp from swinging and gripping the article and hence hold the hook from downward movement while the article is passing or dropping out of the hook. As the body or hook and the article move vertically, as a. unit, the clamping member 5 engages the article and releases it with practically no sliding effect between the clamping member and the article, thus avoiding abrasion of the article.

Owing to the fact that the bodies or hooks are reciprocably movable and the clamping member is operated by the reciprocating movement, heavy articles as gymnasium mats, rugs, etc. can be readily hung up and released.

What I claim is:

1. A clamp comprising a body in the general form of a hook forming a passage for receiving the article to be clamped, means for movably supporting the body whereby it is movable in a direction parallel to the bill of the hook, a clamping member carried by the supporting means and extending through the body into the passage between the bill and t-he shank of the hook formation, and at an angle to the bill of the hook, the clamping member being` operable into and out of said passage upon movement of the hook in opposite directions.

2. A clamp comprising a body in the general form of a hook forming a passage for receiving the article to be clamped, means for movably supporting the body in vertical position with the bill of the hook pointing downward whereby the hook is movable downwardly and upwardly in a direction parallel to the bil] of the hook, a movable clamping member carried by the supporting means and extending through the body into the passage between the bill and shank of the hook formation and at an angle to the bill of the hook, the clamping member being operable into said passage upon movement of the hook downwardly and out or" said passage upon movement of the hook upwardly.

3. A clamp comprising a body formed with a lengthwise passage open at one end for receiving the article to be clamped, means for supporting the body including a pair of parallel links spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the body and pivoted at like ends to .l

the body and at their other ends to fixed points, and a clamping member extending through one of the walls of the passage and operable by the movement of the body in opposite directions to move into and out of the -1- passage.

4. A clamp comprising a body formed with a. lengthwise passage open at one end for rcceiving` the article to be clamped, means for supporting the body including` a pair of parallel links spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the body and pivot-ed at like ends to the body and at their other ends to fi.\:ed points, and a clamping member extending through one of the walls of the passage and operable by the movement of the body in opposite directions to move into and out of the passage, said clamping member forming an angular extension of one of the links from the end of the link pivoted to the body.

A clamp comprising a vertically movable body in the general form of a hook, means for supporting the hook comprisingr a. pair of parallel links spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the hook and piv-oted ailike ends to the shank ofthe hook and at their other ends to fixed points, one of the links having an angular arm from the end thereof` pivoted to the shank of the hook` said arm being movable through a passage in shank into and out of the space between the bill and the shank of the hook. whereby upon movement of the hook bodily in one direction, the arm is withdrawn from the space and upon movement of the body in the opposite direction the arm is projected into the space.

RUDOLPH WIEZEL. 

